US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was spotted mingling with journalists from CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO, just days after President Donald Trump barred reporters from the three outlets from the White House.
The journalists were present at a press reception in New York as events surrounding the United Nations General Assembly got underway.
POLITICO journalist Dasha Burns shared an image on X showing Rubio interacting with members of the media at the gathering.
“Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson hosted a press reception at The Kimberly Hotel in Midtown New York last night to kick off the UNGA High-level week,” Burns wrote. “Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered off-the-cuff remarks and mingled with the media.”
Rubio Says He Does Not Ask Reporters Who They Represent
During an appearance on NBC’s Today show on Tuesday, Rubio was asked whether he would consider creating his own pool of reporters following the White House decision.
“We haven’t discussed it, but again, I think, you know,” Rubio said. “This is a decision that the White House made about coverage in the White House.”
“I’ll do a press conference today and I imagine there’ll be reporters there tomorrow and reporters there from every outlet. I don’t ask them who they’re with.”
Rubio also criticised some US media coverage of the war with Iran, saying some reports appeared sympathetic towards Tehran.
“I watch a lot of American news coverage and it sounds, in some cases for example, like they’re rooting for Iran,” he said.
He added that Trump believes reporters he considers unfair should not be working inside the White House.
CNN, MS NOW And POLITICO Sue Trump
CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO announced on September 21 that they had filed a federal lawsuit seeking to restore their reporters’ access to the White House.
The organisations argue that the removal of their access violated the First Amendment and the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause.
Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Communications Director Steven Cheung and Secret Service Director Sean Curran are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
TV Networks Pause Some Pool Coverage
The dispute has also affected the television news pool, through which major networks share responsibility for covering presidential events.
Fox News Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton, who serves as the rotating TV pool chair, said the pool would pause some of its coverage.
CNN, ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC share responsibility for presidential pool coverage, with the networks rotating the duty.
CNN had been scheduled to provide coverage of Trump’s UN General Assembly trip on Monday. However, a note circulated among members of the television pool said it would stop covering events designated as pool coverage of the president after the White House prevented CNN from carrying out its assigned duties.
The developments come amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and several major US news organisations over White House press access.